The invention relates to an evaluation of reputation of a given entity by another entity called a primary evaluation centre. It applies more particularly to entities using an information transmission network and between which it is necessary to organize and establish confidential relationships.
In fact, an information transmission network of the “World Wide Web” (WWW) type constitutes a tool for information search and for interconnecting a set of users. It is used for data transfers between different machines for searching for different types of information and makes it possible to establish relationships between several entities administered for example by manufacturers, suppliers or clients throughout the world.
When it is necessary to deal with remote suppliers or providers whose reputation is not international, an essential problem is that of determining the confidence that can be placed in them, for example with regard to their technical competence or their ability to meet delivery times.
With regard to the access to content, confidence problems relate, among other things, to the validity and interest of information. Items of information can be provided on line by a product supplier, or by a technical services provider, but the objectivity of that information is not guaranteed.
The same type of problem arises when several entities of a large international industrial group can be brought to a position of ordering services from the same industrial concern without being able to cross-check, because of the large number and the geographic dispersion of the entities of the group, their opinions on the supplier or provider in question.
One solution used for evaluating the reputation the entities using an information networks is provided by the international application WO 01/61601, where the evaluation of each user or entity is public.
An inherent problem with this technique is that of evaluating the pertinence of the evaluations and therefore of having an opinion on the evaluators themselves who are not entities recognized as authorities in the field of the transaction.
Another problem relates to the publication of negative opinions of suppliers or providers. This publication is sensitive if one is subsequently brought into a situation of being in relationship with them. The anonymity of the entities issuing the opinions is not a satisfactory solution to this problem insofar as it accentuates the previous problem related to the ability to form an opinion of the evaluators.
Moreover, the international application WO 01/15002 describes a method of evaluation of content using two databases making it possible, on the one hand, to store the opinion of users on services and, on the other hand, the level of confidence of the users with respect to other users.
However, the evaluation made by an entity in answer to a request for the reputation of another entity is identical no matter what the origin of the request may be.
In fact, the evaluation by a given entity of another entity (an author, a supplier or a contractor) is a piece of knowledge that has a certain value and it is not in the interest of the entities to systematically publish their opinions in order to avoid, for example, a very heavy demand for evaluation requests.